Knicks Run Away With It

NEW YORK — If, in Pat Riley's world, there truly is only winning and misery, then the most miserable of offseasons for the Heat is only one loss away.

The most miserable of nights is what the Heat experienced Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

Its offense seemingly already on hiatus for the summer, the Heat came to a screeching halt midway through the second quarter of an embarrassing 97-73 loss to the New York Knicks.

"We just got our butts kicked, again," guard Dan Majerle said, this one evoking the same emotions as the Heat's 20-point Game 1 loss at Miami Arena. "I think we quit on the game."

All you need to know about the scoring is this: With 5:55 to play in the second period, the Heat led 35-30; with 5:21 to play in the third period it was down 65-39. That's 35 to 4.

"We just got hit with an assault," Riley said.

Point guard Tim Hardaway, hero of so many of these Heat-Knicks tussles, for the third consecutive game was unable to inject himself into the offense. At 5 of 24 in the series entering the night, he shot 1 of 8 for five points, getting himself ejected with 8:45 to play for an argument with Knicks guard Chris Childs borne out of frustration.

Down 2-1 in the best-of-5 opening-round playoff series, the Heat now must win Friday in this nest of intense Riley hatred to force a decisive Game 5 Sunday at Miami Arena.

"I know we have one more left in us," said Riley, needing two. "It's irrelevant what happened tonight."

His season built on the opportunity to make history in the post-Jordan era, Riley instead finds himself on the verge of playoff ignominy for a second consecutive season.

When the Heat was ousted in the first round last season by the Knicks, it became the first No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference to fall to a No. 7. Now, it stands a loss from being the first No. 1 seed in the East to lose to a No. 8, something that has happened only once in the NBA.

"We know they're going to have to come out with more fire and more energy," said guard Latrell Sprewell, who led the Knicks with 20 points.

Based on its disintegration in the second quarter, the Heat will need the rally of rallies to get back to South Florida with its season alive.

"We have the faith we'll get the job done," power forward P.J. Brown said.

After center Alonzo Mourning, suddenly a one-man show, converted an 18-foot jumper with 4:41 to play in the second period to produce a 37-33 lead, the Heat shut down faster that a Broadway flop. From there, the Heat went 7 minutes, 1 second without scoring.

"I was kind of stunned," Brown said. "I thought we really had 'em."

With Mourning picking up his fourth foul early in the third quarter and Brown his fifth later in the period, the final quarter merely was cosmetic. The Knicks outscored the Heat 28-11 in the third quarter to go into the final period up 73-48. The 11 points tied for a franchise low in a postseason quarter.

Suddenly, the Heat has been reduced to Mourning and prayers.

While the Heat center closed with 18 points and seven rebounds before shutting it down, a support system was non-existent. The Heat's 3-point game closed a tragic 4 of 23 from beyond the arc, with misses on the first 17 attempts.

The Knicks, by contrast, found significant balance and, surprisingly, more bounce in the step of center Patrick Ewing than the Heat received from Hardaway.

Ewing scored 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting. Guard Allan Houston overcame the flu and a gusty return of defensive-stopper Majerle from a fractured collarbone to close with 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting.

If there is consolation for the Heat, it is that it overcame a 95-75 home-court humiliation in Game 1 to win 83-73 two days later on its home court in Game 2.

"I've been in a lot of wars with this team," Mourning said. "We know what to do."

Last season, it was the Knicks who rebounded from a 2-1 deficit to win the matchup. But that was a series marred by a Game 4 melee that led to a Mourning suspension. Based on Wednesday's game, the Heat this time has the look of a team about to go down without a fight.

"If you could remember, last year they were in the same position," Mourning said. "It's far from being over."